In 2024, Near East University strengthened its international networks to develop and exchange best practices for the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Through cross-border research collaborations, multi-institutional conferences, and joint scientific projects, the university actively contributed to the comparative study of sustainability strategies in health, environment, climate resilience, and community wellbeing.
These partnerships enabled NEU to benchmark global approaches, integrate evidence-based methods into local practices, and support the creation of innovative models addressing key SDG challenges.
SEPIP 2024 International Conference: Comparative Global Approaches to Industrial Sustainability and Energy Transition
Near East University's participation in the SEPIP 2024 International Conference served as a major platform for exchanging international best practices on sustainable industry and renewable energy transformation. The conference brought together government agencies, private-sector innovators, academic researchers, and sustainability practitioners from multiple countries, providing an integrated environment for comparing global strategies in low-carbon production, circular economy models, and clean energy integration.
During the sessions, participants examined national and regional differences in policy approaches to industrial decarbonization, renewable energy incentives, environmental regulation frameworks, and the adoption of green technologies. NEU researchers contributed scientific analyses related to environmental performance indicators, lifecycle sustainability, and energy-efficiency modelling—allowing for comparative evaluations across countries.
This multi-stakeholder setting enabled NEU to observe and share best practices in sustainable industrial transition, including:
- national models for carbon reduction,
- industry-led innovations in energy efficiency,
- policy-driven renewable energy implementation,
- and cross-country approaches for integrating SDG targets into manufacturing systems.
Through this engagement, Near East University strengthened its role in international sustainability dialogues, gaining access to comparative insight that informs long-term policy and educational development in line with the SDGs.
NEU–CNR Smart Beekeeping & Environmental Monitoring Project: Developing Best Practices for Climate-Resilient Ecosystems
Near East University’s partnership with the Italian National Research Council (CNR) represents a high-impact international scientific collaboration aimed at enhancing climate resilience, biodiversity monitoring, and sustainable agricultural ecosystems. The Smart Beekeeping Project integrates remote sensing, environmental sensor technologies, and hive-health analytics to assess ecological risks such as temperature fluctuations, pesticide exposure, and land-use changes.
This initiative is jointly supported by the North Cyprus Beekeepers Association and the Turkish Cypriot Chamber of Agricultural Engineers positioning the project at the intersection of academic science, civil society, and professional agricultural expertise. The involvement of these local partners ensures that scientific outcomes are adapted to regional agricultural practices and translated into real-world improvements in apiculture and ecosystem management.
Through NEU–CNR joint research, scientists compare Mediterranean and European ecological responses, generating shared datasets that support:
- early detection of climate-related ecological stressors,
- modelling pollinator vulnerability under shifting environmental conditions,
- cross-country evaluation of habitat resilience strategies, and
- the development of adaptive, sustainability-driven beekeeping techniques.
By merging field-based research with advanced monitoring technologies, the project contributes to international best practices in pollinator protection, climate adaptation, and biodiversity conservation—directly supporting SDG 13 (Climate Action) and SDG 15 (Life on Land).
The presence of academia (NEU), international scientific institutions (CNR), civil-society actors (Beekeepers Association), and a professional agricultural body (KTMMOB Ziraat Mühendisleri Odası) makes this initiative a model of multi-stakeholder cooperation. It exemplifies how cross-border scientific collaboration and local institutional engagement can jointly strengthen environmental sustainability and climate resilience.
International Collaboration for Developing Best Practices in Neuroscience and Sleep Research: Near East University & Japanese Research Institutions
In 2024, Near East University advanced its global scientific partnerships by hosting the 4th Turkish–Japanese Sleep Forum and the international symposium “Brain Time: Mechanism and Functions from Microdian to Circadian.” Organised jointly by the Faculty of Health Sciences, the Department of Biophysics, and the Research Center for Brain and Consciousness States, the three-day event brought together leading researchers from Türkiye and Japan to exchange data, methodologies, and comparative scientific findings.
The programme featured panels on time perception in sports sciences, the relationship between circadian rhythms and neurological conditions such as autism and epilepsy, and molecular mechanisms underlying biological time. Through the presentation and discussion of cross-country research, participants evaluated how different scientific models and experimental approaches can inform international best practices in neuroscience, sleep science, and chronobiology.
By facilitating sustained scientific dialogue and joint knowledge production, the collaboration enabled researchers to compare national research strengths, harmonise scientific standards, and explore transferable practices relevant to SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being and SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals. The forum strengthened Near East University’s role in shaping global scientific cooperation and contributed to the refinement of evidence-based approaches that support long-term advancements in neurological and sleep health.